About Us

A society formed in 2009 for the purpose of collecting, preserving, celebrating, and disseminating the maritime history of the San Juan Islands and northern Puget Sound area.
Check this log for tales from out-of-print publications as well as from members and friends. There are circa 500, often long entries, on a broad range of maritime topics; there are search aids at the bottom of the log.
Please ask for permission to use any photo posted on this site. Thank you.

12 June 2016

🎂 HAPPY 65th BIRTHDAY 🎂

This 1951 brochure announced 19 ferries that were included in the purchase to establish the world's largest ferry system. On the inside page of the folder,the state listed the purchase cost at $6,800,000.Courtesy of historian R.R. Burke

In the early morning darkness sixty-five years ago at Colman Dock, Capt. Alex M. Peabody, the gentleman in the photo above, President of Puget Sound Navigation Co, moved from his paneled office to a new one on Pier 53, the next dock to the north. Mr. Floyd McDowell moved in to manage the ferries for Washington State, a change that went from private ownership to public operation of the ferry system.

The Enetai's early morning arrival in Bremerton marked the end of the PSNC's 53 years of serving Puget Sound points. The formal changeover was 3 AM Friday morning, 1 June 1951. At that time the the ticket sellers turned over the cash and any new cash after that time went instead to WA State. With the brightness of the morning, the crews began painting green over the orange colored stacks of the vessels. The first ferry to cast off from the dock, under the Washington State flag, was the 1930 wood ferry, the VASHON, that loaded at Lofall headed for South Point. "Old Reliable" served until she was retired in 1980.

BRISTOL (227502) 60' x 17.2' x 7.4' , Capt. E. W. Chevalier, working as mailboat when lost in collision in San Juans. Cold, wet crew but no loss of life. Some mail sacks later found on beaches. 1960.

CHICKAWANA (210031) Ol.s. 55.4' x 12.9' x 5.1' blt. 1912. Operated by Bellingham Transp. Co. for many years with a 4th Class Post Office on board. Lost to fire on mail run from Stuart Is. to Waldron. Owned by Mason Lewis. No loss of life. 1948.